U.S. Cops Trained by Occupation Forces in Hebron

We're all in favor of maintaining the proud traditions of America - - but our peculiar history of learning the tricks of the Israeli occupation isn't one of them. Alas, the Anti-Defamation League is doing its best to keep the despicable tradition alive by taking U.S. policemen and women to Israel to get an up close and personal education on "strategies and tactics for fighting terror." And where did they go? To Hebron - which is a severe microcosm of everything bad about occupation. That's where some of the most notorious and viral crimes of occupation have happened, and where everyday life is literally untenable because of violent settlers and their personal military detail. Never mind the growing outcry against the militarization of police in America, the ADL and other groups who host these law enforcement trainings in Israel aren't our only problem. The U.S. has a now institutionalized system of learning from Israel. What started with outrageous import of the TSA SPOT program, is now a popular enough premise that Donald Trump openly touts the idea of mimicking Israel's great success using profiling tactics. And let's not pretend Trump is the only one eager to become more like Israel’s occupation forces. At a law enforcement roundtable Trump convened last month, Rep. Peter King made it clear he also wants law enforcement to increase their already invasive and unconstitutional programs that profile Americans for surveillance. All the fluster is missing the point that discriminatory programs Trump and King are asking for have proved a failure in Israel and in the United States. Maybe instead of getting more aggressive in our profiling and law enforcement, we should be getting more effective.